New Mexico State Ethics Commission News:

ALBUQUERQUE – A Colfax County jury returned a verdict in favor of the New Mexico State Ethics Commission in State Ethics Commission ex rel. Village of Angel Fire v. Lindsey, et al., finding that Angel Fire Mayor Barry Lindsey knowingly violated the New Mexico Procurement Code in connection with a $1 million contract awarded to Carristo Creative Consulting LLC.

The verdict was returned on Feb. 17, 2026, following a jury trial in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Raton, N.M., before the Honorable Steven Romero. The jury found that Mayor Lindsey knowingly violated the Procurement Code when he cast the tie-breaking vote to approve and signed a contract with Carristo Creative. The contract was worth more than $1 million, contained an unlawful prepayment term, and was awarded without following the Code’s competitive procurement requirements.

This verdict follows the Court’s June 23, 2025, order granting partial summary judgment in favor of the Commission, in which the Court ruled that the Procurement Code applied to the contract at issue and rejected the argument that the contract fell within a statutory exemption for certain advertising purchases.

After the Commission filed suit in 2024, the Village canceled the unlawful contract and subsequently issued a request for proposals consistent with state procurement law. The Commission also previously reached a settlement with Carristo Creative Consulting under which the company repaid the Village of Angel Fire amounts that Carristo unlawfully received.

“The Procurement Code exists to ensure fairness, transparency, and public trust in government contracting,” said Amelia Bierle, Deputy Director of the State Ethics Commission. “Yesterday’s verdict reaffirms that public officials are accountable when they knowingly disregard those requirements.”

Read the full order and settlement agreements here:

(1) Jury Verdict;

(2) Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment;

(3) Settlement Agreement between and among the New Mexico State Ethics Commission and Carristo Creative Consulting, LLC; and

(4) Settlement Agreement between and among the New Mexico State Ethics Commission and Julie Kulhan, in her official capacity as Chief Procurement Officer for the Village of Angel Fire.

About the State Ethics Commission:

The State Ethics Commission is an independent, constitutional state agency with the authority to enforce civil violations of New Mexico’s governmental ethics and disclosure statutes, including the Procurement Code. The Commission is comprised of three Democratic Commissioners, three Republican Commissioners, and one independent Commissioner who is registered as “decline to state.” For more information about the State Ethics Commission, visit sec.nm.gov.